The Reaping Chaos
by JannMcShady
Summary: What if the reaping in District 12 goes wrong? what if Katniss and Prim fought because both of them wants to be the girl tribute in the arena? here's my story...


The Reaping Chaos

**Author's Note: I wrote this short story while scanning Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games as I work on my 2****nd**** chapter for the Last Hunger Games. I hope you like it. **

Bright and bubbly as ever (and annoying-to-death as ever!), Effie Trinket walks unto the podium and begins her signature, "Welcome, welcome!". She is throwing her hands, to the left and then to the right, making it look like she's giving a declamation piece. "The time has come to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 12 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games. May the odds be _ever_ in your favor!" she continues.

Haymitch, drunk as always, stands up holding a bottle of Vodka and convinces everybody to clap their hands for her. This living victor of District 12, the _only _living victor, obviously thinks Effie's performing a declamation. And so everybody claps their hands once, and then some, twice, as Effie gives a flying kiss to the crowd.

Through the clumps of eighteen year olds from the Seam, I spot Gale's hand shot upward and then shouts "Whooo! Effie Trinket rocks!", which is awkward because all of us are staring at him in complete disbelief right now. But he never minds, what an idiot!

I could not think about how stupid Gale looks right now. My eyes are searching for Prim. She's lined up with the other twelve year olds and I'm very worried she might collapse due to nervousness. Our eyes meet and I want to remind her her name's been in the glass bowl once, so they're not gonna pick her. But I can't , can I? so I turn to the podium as Effie says, "Ladies first!". My eyes hurt so much as I glare as hard as I could to Effie's skinny hand digging in the big glass ball with the girls' name and pulls out a slip of paper.

I close my eyes and hope that it's not me. Please, that it's not me; it's not gonna be me.! "It's not me!" I'm shocked to hear myself, I didn't mean to say it out loud! I guess I'm putting so much effort on hoping that it's not gonna be me. I could feel the heat on my cheeks, _Mother of blushes_!

"Of course it's not you!" Effie snaps back. "It's Primrose Everdeen."

When I was still twelve years old, I saw Gale kissing another girl from the seam. I didn't let Gale knew that I saw it, that I really felt crazy there. It was like my heart has been squeezed by an unknown force from the inside and then barricaded my airways so that I can't inhale nor exhale.

This is how I feel right now. Except that it feels a hell lot worse. I couldn't shout and question what is happening. But then I find Prim walking as relax as she could possible handle guided by two peacekeepers and followed by another pair. Somewhere faraway, I can hear the crowd murmuring unhappily as they always do whenever a twelve year old gets picked. This scene brought me back to my senses and then I run towards Prim,

"Prim!" I call to her name desperately. No, it wasn't calling, it was more like crying. "Out of my way! Out of my way!" I shout at the kids in front of me so that they'll make a way for me to reach Prim. But then a pair of peacekeeper finds me and one pushes me back so hard that I stumble to the ground. I stand up and push him behind me. Then I realized how wrong my move was since he's so much bigger than me and he pushes me back again even before I could react. Sitting on dirt, I see Prim starts to mount the steps up to the stage. I could not reach her anymore. I stand up again and

"I volunteer!" I gasp. "I volunteer as tribute!". And then I hear other gasps, too.

"I volunteer, too!"a voice from the crowd shocks me.

"Me too!" "Me too." says another two girls I don't know.

There was a bit of confusion that wipes from the audience since hands are starting to shot upward from the girls. And it's increasing its number! What is happening? Do they wanna be slaughtered in the arena? I look at Prim up on the stage who looks as confused as I do. So I run as fast as I could and my feet found the stage and presented myself to the Mayor, to Effie and to Haymitch.

"No!" a tiny voice yells back at me. I could not believe what my eyes are seeing? It was Prim who yelled at me, and who's glaring at me right now.

"No, Katniss!" says Prim as she moves closer to me. "What are you doing? I am the one whom they picked! They chose ME!"

"_Mother of Effie Trinket_, Prim, you don't know what you are talking about. You'll get killed in the arena!" I say as I look at Gale coming close, actually running, towards us. "Gale get Prim off this stage!"

"okay! Wait!" I hear Gale's reply. But by the time he reaches us, he goes straight to Effie and flirts with her!

I turn my head towards the Mayor who is my remaining hope. "Let Prim go Mr. Mayor, isn't this the rules? I volunteer, then Prim goes."

Before the mayor could open his mouth, we hear a scream from behind me. Prim is running towards me and jumps to her feet, knocking me down.

"Stupid Katniss! I said No!"this is all she's saying as she slaps my face.

"Stop it Prim!" I say as I try to fight back, but also fearing I might hurt her. As I look unto the crowd, the other volunteers are also on their ways to reach us.

"No! this is my chance!" Prim shouts at me again.

"Get off me Prim or I'll hurt you!"

"Noooooo!" this has been so far the loudest scream I've heard from her. Making Effie's other announcement not so clear. _"It's time to choose our male tribute."_ The only statement I understand from Effie's lips. I'm still fighting back Prim's slaps so I wasn't able to focus.

"It's Peeta Mellark." I hear Effie announces the new male tribute. I was expecting the chaos would still go on but silence replaces it.

"Oh, it's him." Prim gets off me as she say these words. "I was hoping it would be Rory. I quit." and then she walks off.

I look at Effie and behind her my gaze freezes. I feel my heart beats running away as the boy with the bread walks toward me. I have found back the dandelion that gave me hope and strength years ago when everything seems to be falling down for me - all this time, the love of my life. He reaches out for my hand to help me stand. I couldn't take my eyes off of our hands clutching each other. The only bad thing about this moment is, the other's victory would be the death of the other. I'm really hoping Peeta's not thinking about this right now.

I guess, all along, **the odds are not in my favor.**

**Review if you wanna comment about this story. **

**P.S. Thank you for all the reviews my 'The 76****th**** Hunger Games' received. Let's all look forward to its 2****nd**** chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own all the ideas in this story. Thanks to TheBoyWhoWrites and CISL23 for giving me some. (I even copied some lines from the official trailer of the movie. ehehe)**


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